“I can’t tell you what he said,” joked Ross Taylor after Martin Guptill was done by a brilliant delivery from Billy Stanlake. New Zealandsuffered a thrashing at the hands of their neighbours Australiain the first game of their T20I series. The tri-series also includes Australia’s Ashes rivals England.

The Black Caps were limited to a below average score of 117/9 after their 20 overs. Colin de Grandhomme was their star performer as he scored 38* (24). The all-rounder was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the recently held auctions for the 2018 IPL season. Top order batsmen Martin Guptill, Colin Munro and Kane Williamson all failed to reach double figures. Billy Stanlake (3/15) and Andrew Tye (4/23) were the pick of Australia’s bowlers.

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Stanlake bowled Guptill with a peach of a delivery it pitched just on the off-stump and shaped away. It beat the outside edge of his bat and crashed the top of off-stump, in fact, took the led part of the stump with it. Guptill’s dismissal involved a light moment in the post-match press conference. Asked for his teammate’s reaction to the delivery, a giggling Ross Taylor indicated Guptill’s comments were not suitable for a family audience.

I can’t really tell you

“I can’t really tell you what he really said,” Taylor answered. “It was a very good ball. I’d like to tell you, but I can’t,” he said.

Australia had to chase a reduced target of 95 with 7 wickets in hand after rain interrupted the proceedings. Although Trent Boult and Tim Southee managed to send both their openers David Warner and D’Arcy Short back to the pavilion in the first few overs, Australia didn’t face too many problems chasing down the paltry target.

Chris Lynn and Glenn Maxwell steered Australia to victory. Both these players were signed for a hefty price at the IPL 2018 auction. Kolkata Knight Riders’ Lynn scored 44 of 33 balls and Delhi Daredevils’ Maxwell scored an unbeaten 40 off just 24 deliveries.

Boult picked up 2 wickets and conceded just 14 runs in his 3 overs, but the Aussies chased down the target in less than 12 overs. Australia face Englandin the next two matches of the series, on Wednesday and Sunday, before Eoin Morgan’s team meets the Black Caps in Wellington on February 13.